Blyth Women's Institute
About the Blyth WI
Since its formation in 1947, both past and present members have enjoyed and still do enjoy many happy hours together. At the present time, we have 33 members who meet the first Thursday of each month in the Barnby Memorial Hall, Blyth, and of these, we have a Committee of eight who pre-plan the monthly meetings which are usually based around a speaker. There is always time for a cup of tea and a chat, this being the most important part of our time together!
Some Meetings take a different format when we have our birthday party, members’ night, or harvest supper, and in December we dine out to enjoy Christmas Dinner. Along with five other WIs, we are part of the Sherwood Ryton Group and are affiliated to Nottinghamshire Federation of WIs. Within the group, invitations are sent and received for members to join different WI events, both local and national, so we gather an ever-widening circle of friends.
We have an Outings Secretary who organises outings and theatre visits.
Each month every member receives a copy of The Hornblower, the Nottinghamshire News Sheet. It contains an events calendar which is an open invitation for any member to go anywhere on offer upon application for tickets. Members also receive, through the post, for eight months of the year, a copy of the WI National Magazine ‘WI Life’.
Many charitable requests come our way and we try to oblige where possible. On an ongoing basis, we collect tokens for Yorkshire tea who then plant trees around the world according to our response with the tokens.
Some ladies are continually busy knitting winter hats and scarves for orphans in Europe. Members open up their homes for Coffee Mornings and Afternoon Teas and these are most enjoyable occasions.
So this is our Women’s Institute at Blyth, now over sixty years from its founding. We still do sing Jerusalem and sell homemade preserves and are proud to carry on the tradition.
Why not come and join us? You're welcome to ‘give us a try’ and then make a decision as to whether or not you want to become a member. Think about it, we'll try our very best to make you most welcome.
Contact numbers are:
| President Mrs Josie Greenwood | Secretary Mrs Marian Hall |
| tel. 01909 591322 | tel. 01909 591677 |
About the WI nationally
The WI is not all Jam and Jerusalem anymore. It is a vast network of local activity and influence with over 6,500 groups throughout England and Wales. From lobbying MPs about GM crops to fashioning quilts and designing gardens, this is where the WI can be seen to be involved.
The modern WI stands for campaigning, learning, friendship and sharing which permits a diversity of activities and strongly expressed opinions. It has an independent democratic structure that allows committed enthusiasts to rise from local positions to become national trustees.
The AGM remains a forum with a powerful voice for women on issues from rural services to sex trafficking.
Such diversity!
Blyth Presidential Roll
| 1947 – 1967 | Mrs Hermiston |
| 1967 – 1968 | Mrs B. Whitehead |
| 1968 – 1973 | Mrs Cynthia Goss |
| 1973 – 1977 | Mrs Astrea Smith |
| 1977 – 1979 | Mrs Elizabeth Healey |
| 1979 – 1982 | Mrs Joan Frith |
| 1982 – 1984 | Mrs Barbara Travers |
| 1984 – 1987 | Mrs June Nunn |
| 1987 – 1988 | Mrs Astrea Smith |
| 1988 – 1993 | Mrs Atkins |
| 1993 – 2004 | Mrs Elizabeth Healey |
| 2004 – 2005 | Mrs Clare Stone |
| 2005 - | Mrs Josie Greenwood |
WI Programme for 2011-2012
(All meetings commence at 7.30pm in the Barnby Memorial Hall)
| Thursday 2nd June | Speaker Mr Don Whitton - Perennials throughout the year |
| 7th July | Birthday Meeting + Mr John Millington - Songs for all Seasons |
| 4th August | Speaker Mr Pete Davis - An Evening of Storytelling |
| 1st September | Speaker Miss D.A. Sutton - The History of Folk Art Painting |
| 6th October | Harvest Supper |
| 3rd November | Card Making Workshop with Jo Blemmings ( Blyth Craft Shop) |
| 4th December | Christmas Dinner (venue to be decided) |
| 5th January | Speaker Mrs Pauline Venables - Enamelled Jewellery |
| 2nd February | Speaker Mrs Sue Clifton - Papua and New Guinea |
| 1st March | In-House Games Evening |
| 5th April | AGM + Speaker Mrs Anne-Marie Morley - Sweden |
The Nottinghamshire Federation of WIs can be contacted by email at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
website: www.thewi.org.uk/notts
The National WI website is www.thewi.org.uk